Summary of October Council meeting

A hybrid College Council meeting was held on Tuesday, October 1.

Meeting highlights include receipt of a quarterly report from Registrar & CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO, and the financial report for the period ending June 30, 2024.

Council received a report of the Selection and Nominating Subcommittee and approved the subcommittee’s recommendations for Council, committee and roster member appointments and reappointments.

The next meeting of Council is scheduled for Thursday, December 12. Members of the public and the profession can watch online. More information, including meeting schedules, agendas and summaries, is available on our website.

Meet four outstanding College scholarship recipients

We are proud to announce the four recipients of the 2024 Ontario College of Teachers Scholarship Program! Each year, the College awards each recipient with a $1,500 scholarship to support them on their path to becoming teachers who inspire their students.

These scholarships celebrate diverse accomplishments, highlighting the special qualities of exemplary teachers:

Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education

Elora Passafiume, OCT, Trent University

Ontario College of Teachers Primary/Junior or Junior/Intermediate Scholarship

Prachi Tanwar, OCT, Lakehead University

Ontario College of Teachers Intermediate/Senior Scholarship

Sarah Kaye, Queen’s University

Brian P. McGowan Scholarship for Resilience

Lucas Aragao, OCT, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto

Visit the College website to learn more about the scholarship program, including eligibility criteria and how to apply.

World Teachers’ Day: Your professional voice matters, share it by completing the Focus on Teaching survey

This year’s theme for World Teachers’ Day was Valuing Teacher Voices. The College recognizes how important teachers’ voices are, which is why we are asking all OCTs in good standing to share their voices by completing the Focus on Teaching survey.

Nearly 32,000 OCTs have completed the survey since it was sent via email in September. The survey will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on November 4. If you have not yet completed the survey, please look for an email invitation from "FOTS" in your inbox. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and your input would be invaluable.

If you are unable to find your survey invitation, please email FOTS@forumresearch.com.

The voluntary survey will offer anonymized and aggregated data that will inform key decisions that will further improve the teaching profession and Ontario’s publicly funded education system.

More information about the survey and how it was developed is available on the College website.

Opportunities to participate in a review of your professional standards

The College is revising the Ethical Standards and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession. All OCTs in good standing will soon have the opportunity to contribute their insights.

The standards, which were initially created by educators for educators, help us collectively hold ourselves accountable and build public confidence in our profession.

This fall, the College is inviting OCTs and partner organizations to join one of 30 focus group sessions. Through October and November, these province-wide consultations will gather insights from a diverse range of participants. We are organizing sessions to hear from individuals according to specific roles such as classroom teachers, literacy coaches, Special Education Resource teachers, principals and other education system leaders. Participants include OCTs, students and representatives from school board associations, federations, the Ministry of Education, and the public.

We received a positive response to our outreach for participants and the focus groups are now full.

Since 2005, these have been our professional standards:

Ethical Standards

• Care
• Trust
• Integrity
• Respect

Standards of Practice

• Professional Knowledge
• Professional Practice
• Commitment to Students and Student Learning
• Ongoing Professional Learning
• Leadership in Learning Communities

As you reflect on your experiences at the mid-point of the fall, think about how they align with your vision of the standards of our profession.

What do you think needs to be updated for the professional standards to have increased relevance as the foundation of teaching practice and professional conduct in Ontario?

Get ready to make your voice heard! You have a chance to shape the future of your profession.

All OCTs will receive an invitation to contribute their thoughts in the coming months.

Stay tuned to future editions of Your College and You for updates.

Now Open: Register for the Mathematics Proficiency Test

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is responsible for developing, facilitating and evaluating the Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT).

Registration for the MPT is now open at mathproficiencytest.ca. Please refer to that website for more details, including information about test sittings and options for individuals who require accommodations.

OCTs who hold a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration (CQR) as of January 31, 2025, are not required to pass the MPT.

Satisfying the MPT requirement varies from group to group. Please refer to the MPT infographic on the College website for more information about how the MPT requirement may apply.

Any questions?

More information about the MPT requirement is available on the College website.

Library services

The Margaret Wilson Library provides OCTs with free access to thousands of full-text scholarly and professional articles and publications.

For tips and tricks to navigate the catalogue (and more!), check out the Margaret Wilson Library’s FAQs, including the Accessing EBSCO Articles guide for easy, step-by-step navigation.

Still have questions? Get in touch with the library team at library@oct.ca, 437.880.3000 or Toll-Free (Canada and U.S.A.): 1.833.966.5588, for support.